Triathlete Sarah Bay in the cool tub at Denver Sports Recovery, a training facility that works with athletes to aid in their recovery from workouts and competition. Bay visits Denver Sports Recovery three to four times a week.

Three or four times a week, Sarah Bay takes a frigid soak in a tub of 51-degree water, a temperature generally more suited to penguins than humans.

Bay, a competitive triathlete, is a big fan of the regimen.

“It really helps me recover and flush out the waste products in my body,” she said during a recent 10-minute soak. “I can recover faster.”

Bay takes her dips at Denver Sports Recovery at 2242 W. 29th Ave. in the Highland neighborhood. The center offers state-of-the-art services designed to shorten the amount of time an athlete’s body needs to recuperate between hard-core workouts.

For Bay, it pays off.

Her regimen is a grueling one. She logs long hours each week swimming, cycling and running, and supplements those workouts with intense sessions in the weight room.

“It really makes a difference,” she said.

Andria Hassler, one of the center’s owners, says that the recovery period — where the body is rebuilding and strengthening itself in the hours after a workout — is nearly as crucial as the exercise.

That’s when muscle tissue repairs itself and grows stronger.

“Our idea is to teach the importance of recovery,” she said. “A lot of people really know how to work out and train but don’t know how to recover.”

To work, the recovery process needs to be planned and properly executed.

When you break down your body through cardio or weight training, your energy stores are sapped and muscle tissue is stressed.

Without effective rest — think of it as applied rest — your body can fall into a perpetual state of catch-up, called under-recovery.

This can lead to overtraining, which leads to more fatigue, inflammation and poor workouts.

Trainers suggest laying off or reducing workout regimens every four-six weeks. If you are a weight- lifter, go lighter and don’t max out. Runners and cyclists should cut back their mileage for a few days.

You’ll return recharged.

“The time between your workouts is when the muscle is actually growing stronger,” said Liz Shepard, a trainer at the Downtown YMCA. “In fact, rest days between workouts, when you’re putting stress on the muscle, are just as important to muscle development as the workout.”

Morgan suggests 48-72- hour rests between intense sessions working the same muscles. Less rest is needed for lower-intensity sessions, such as light maintenance runs.

Sleep also plays a major role in rebuilding muscles. Think of that period as the ultimate “down time.” Shoot for eight hours a night, and eliminate distractions such as light and noise.

Proper diet and hydration are also important, especially in Colorado’s arid climate.

Try to eat a light meal with about 50 grams of carbohydrates and 30 grams of protein within two hours of your workout. (A tuna salad sandwich with a piece of fruit, such as a potassium-rich banana, is a good choice.)

But elite athletes with intense workout routines that continually push them to their limits need something more.

That’s where Hassler’s Denver Sports Recovery Center comes in.

“These clients need to do more than sitting home doing nothing and just icing body parts,” Hassler said.

That’s where the center’s array of equipment comes in. On a recent afternoon, Hassler offered a tour.

There is a Swiss Wing, a round, padded cylinder with ultra-high vibrations that can be applied to body parts such as hamstrings and shoulders. “Some people like to start here, just to open up the tissue,” she said. “If you’re sore this thing is really great for it.”

NormaTec compression sleeves are used to increase blood flow. These vary in size. Some are snug enough to fit around arms; others accommodate quadriceps — including football-player sizes. (Denver Bronco Orlando Franklin, a man-mountain of an offensive lineman, is one of the pro athletes who is a client.)

“The sleeves are used to move the blood and help with healing,” Hassler said. “It’s about repairing micro-tears in the muscle. The sessions last about 20-25 minutes.”

Massage is another good way to recover after a workout, and the center offers those, too.

Services aren’t free — a basic monthly membership with unlimited use of the equipment costs $75 — but for elite athletes or weekend warriors just seeking an edge, the investment can be worth it.

“The rewarding thing is seeing people who have been banged up getting back into, say, playing soccer a week or to faster than they expected,” Hassler said.

William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp

Restaurant critic William Porter is a feature writer at The Denver Post, where he covers food, culture and people. He joined the news outlet in 1997. Before that, he spent 14 years covering politics and popular culture at The Phoenix Gazette and Arizona Republic. He is a native of North Carolina.

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